Q&A Session 1

To get to know us better, we have created the FoodBlogCT Q&A page. What ever you want to know, ask us. You'll find our answers to the questions we received last week below. Thank You for submiting them! If you want to know more about us, send in your own question.

Q: What were/are your New Years resolutions for 2012 and are you sticking to them?

Marvin:

I haven’t really thought about New Year’s resolutions to be honest. Most of the time, I don’t stick to them anyways – so what’s the point. I do have goals for this year however and I still have 10 months to achieve them.

Moving into town because the northern suburbs are becoming quite boring - not that there is anything wrong with Durbanville – it’s just that all my friends live in town. I don’t drink & drive and taking a taxi home on my monthly budget isn’t really an option. My 2nd goal is linked to 1st goal. To move into an apartment in town, I have to make money. Watch this space. My 3rd goal is dependent on achieving my 2nd goal. My car is 14 years old and is starting to fall apart. A Ferrari would be nice – but also willing to go for something cheaper.

Kayli:

I don’t really make resolutions, purely because they are things you don’t really wan’t to do. By forcing yourself into something, you are treading on very thin ice because it is so easy to disappoint yourself by breaking one silly resolution, which can lead to giving them all up. In 2011 I made one resolution, which I have kept to this day. Call my parents more, just to say hi. I don’t live in the same city as them and they love hearing from me. It’s such an easy way to make someone happy.

Q: Do you have any advice for someone who has just started blogging?

Marvin:

With advice I’m assuming you are asking: How do I get people to read my blog?

Social media is a blogger’s heaven. Create your Facebook & Twitter accounts along with any other social networks that might be relevant to your niche (Pinterest, Flickr, Youtube,…list goes on) and start building your community by interacting with other bloggers & users. Also don’t neglect SEO: FoodBlogCT gets 60% of its traffic from Google and this isn’t by chance. You need to get other sites to point links towards your blog. For the past two years I’ve been guest-blogging like mad and taking part in link exchanges and it’s really paying off. It’s pretty boring work – but it needs to be done.

Kayli:

Don’t let people get you down. Yes, it is hard to start, but just do it and then carry on. Don’t let anyone tell you that there are too many blogs or that you can’t do it, because you can. It just takes time. Also, don’t be upset by criticism. Life’s a bitch, take notes.

Q: Where would you have your birthday dinner?

Marvin:

The Mount in the Durbanville Winelands on the Hooggelegen Farm - amazing food.

Q: Was the stuff you wrote about the restaurants in the "My opinion is important, 'cause I am a blogger" article true and why didn’t you say what restaurant it was?

Kayli:

Yeah, every word. It was a very strange, unpleasant evening. I explained in the article why I didn’t “Name & Shame”

The experience I had is not one that a customer would have. You wouldn’t go there for dinner and have a member of staff sit with you. So that part of my experience won’t affect anyone else, therefore it doesn’t make a difference where it was.